Sweet Little Leo
by SwordsMaster
Summary: Leo Valdez's family consisted of only him and his mother. He'd never met his father, and his mother did not talk about him much. Leo was only six years old, but considered himself a fine technician. His family was poor. Leo wanted to help his mother somehow. But when Tia Callida, his babysitter, takes leave for a month, Leo finds an opening... Oneshot. Told from Leo's and 3rd POV.


"Bye Mom! Going to school!", I said to my mother.

"Bye honey, have a great day!", Mom replied. Right. Have fun at school, where everyone makes fun of me because of my dyslexia and ADHD. Who cares if I can't read? Most of those kids can't think. And

THEIR brains are properly wired. But I can't tell that to my mother. She's the coolest person ever. No one sees that in her but me. It's so unfair.

* * *

School. Heaven on Earth? No. Hell on Earth? No. Tartarus on Earth? Almost. The learning part just makes it boring. The kids make it 5000 B.C., being barbarian cavemen, and all...

After school, I rushed home. My mom called me on the house's phone. "Honey, Tia Callida is not going to be coming for a month. Please, take care of yourself.", she said. Sadly, I remembered she's at work till very late. I then had a brilliant idea flash. I could get a job to pass the time. I don't know if you know this, but my family is kinda poor. If I could find a simple job and get home before his mom comes home, we could make some extra cash if I could slip the money into her purse. Now I have to think of a job.

"My strengths...", I whispered to himself. "I can build, fix and...", I said, then lighting a small fire in the palm of my hand. Nervously, I stepped out of the house, and poked around for a job. After some searching, I met a man who offered me a job for fixing bicycles. I impulsively asked for the pay.

"I just know how much you children crave money nowadays...", the man implied.

"How does ten dollars per day sound?", he finished. I think I had just exploded with happiness on the inside. Ten dollars?! I could earn sixty dollars every week! Of course, mom takes Sundays off, like her co-workers.

"I'll take it!", I said eagerly. The man smiled.

"Excellent. You start tomorrow. My name is David, please tell this to your mother.", David said. I can't tell my mother.

* * *

**Day 1:**

"Leo! We have twenty bikes for you to fix today!", David said.

TWENTY BIKES?! My mom comes home at ten o'clock. Meaning I had - I counted on his fingers - seven hours to fix twenty bikes. I got to work. It would be worth it to see mom's happy face when she realizes she has more money than before. After all twenty bikes, it was 9:30. I got so into focus, so into my work that I forgot that my shift was over half an hour ago.

"Leo! You were supposed to go home thirty minutes ago!" David said.

"Oh my, this work is wonderful...!" Leo, since you stayed thirty minutes extra, let's say we let you go at 8:30 tomorrow?"

I rushed home with my ten dollars. It took almost half an hour to get home. I slipped inside, and left the money inside mom's purse. She never took it to work.

**Day 2:**

"Leo, fifteen bikes today!"

I got to work. Only fifteen? Easy peesy, lemon squeezy!

By seven thirty, I was done. Ten smackaroonies again! Twenty dollars already! I did the math the previous night. If I can do this for the whole month, I can make $300. Sweet!

I slipped inside the house, carefully put the money into my mom's purse and left.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by the same. It was finally Sunday.

"Leo, honey, we have enough money for a night out at a restaurant!", my mom tells me as she wakes me up. A night out...we hardly have those.

That night, we climbed into the car. We reached the restaurant. Chinese.

"Leo, may I tell you something?"

"Of course, mom."

"Always work hard when you grow up. Because of hard work alone, we are here."

"Sure mom. I'll always work hard..."

"...when I grow up!" I added in hastily.

* * *

Monday. After work, I walk into the house, and have the money in my hands.

"Leo?", I heard my mom's voice say. My heart pounded. Hard. What was she doing here? She's not supposed to be back until...OH MY HOLY COW! I look at my watch. Ten o'clock. I would've cursed in my head, but I didn't know any back then.

"Leo, I thought you were lost!" My mom said, crying.

After the waterworks was over, I was forced to tell my mom about my job, about David...

Then the doorbell rung.

"I'll get it." my mom said.

"Ah! Who are you?" My mom exclaims. I rush to my mom. There I see...

"David?"

"Ah, Leo! I just wanted to speak to your mother.", David said.

"Okay...well, I'll be in my room..."

* * *

**Not in Leo's POV:**

"Hephaestus. It's been a while."

"Esperanza. Indeed.", Hephaestus said.

"What were you doing with my - our - son?"

"Teaching him responsibility."

Hephaestus told Leo's mother all about Leo's work, how he was so good.

"Oh my..."

* * *

**Back to Leo's POV:**

I came back out when David went away. My mother beamed at me. David probably told her everything.

"Leo, why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to make you think that you were making money. I love to see your face when you're happy."

My mom started crying and smiling.

"Leo, I don't need money to be happy. I love you, and that all there is to it. That's what makes me happy."


End file.
